Comments for dad double/ mom single dew claw

Are your dogs purebred? This means they came from reputable breeders with registration papers from a recognized kennel club.

If they are not, chances are you do not have two full Pyrs. Do you know the lineage of these dogs? Do you know if past generations on both sides have been healthy and of sound mind?

If you are having puppies to have puppies, please make sure to have your dogs spayed and neutered. There are shelters and rescues full of unwanted dogs because people did not bother to spay or neuter pups from scattered breedings. Many are euthanized every day.

Jul 01, 2015Rating

anybody's guessby: Tressie

There has been research done looking at the genetics of dewclaws in Icelandic Sheepdogs (The Dewclaw Puzzle, M. Karlsdottir) and other scattered studies on dewclaws in canines. Notably, their wild cousins i.e., wolves do not have dewclaws. This appears to be a trait exclusive to domestication. Certain breeds commonly have double dewclaws including the Pyrenees.

Its a matter of genetics and dominant versus recessive traits. Your pups have a 50/50 chance of inheriting any possible combination, depending on their individual inherited traits. Until they are born, its a best guess as to how many will have single versus double dewclaws. Here is a link to more thoughts on dewclaws: http://www.great-pyrenees-club-of-southern-ontario.com/genetics-question.html

Now the important question is why you are considering breeding at all? There's a glut of backyard breeders as well as puppymills that are flooding the market with Pyrs. The overwhelming majority end of in shelters because of poor breeding practices, inadequate socialization or plain lack of knowledge about the breed. Please don't add to this unfortunate tragedy by breeding more Pyrs when shelters, especially in the U.S. are over run with them :(